Sony A7S II vs Nikon D4S

The Sony Alpha 7S II and the Nikon D4S are two professional cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively,
in September 2015 and February 2014. The A7S II is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the D4S is a DSLR. Both cameras are equipped with a full frame sensor. The Sony has a resolution of 12 megapixels, whereas the Nikon provides 16.2 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their sensors, their features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Sony A7S II vs Nikon D4S

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Sony A7S II and the Nikon D4S is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Nikon D4S is considerably larger (106 percent) than the Sony A7S II. Moreover, the D4S is substantially heavier (115 percent) than the A7S II. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. Both cameras have similarly sized sensors, but DSLRs have a larger flange-to-focal plane distance than mirrorless cameras,
which imposes contraints on the optical engineering process and generally leads to bigger and heavier lenses.
You can compare the optics available for the two cameras in the Sony FE Lens Catalog (A7S II) and the Nikon Lens Catalog (D4S). Mirrorless cameras, such as the Sony A7S II, have moreover the advantage that they have a relatively short flange to focal plane distance and can thus use many lenses from other systems via adapters.

Concerning battery life, the A7S II gets 370 shots out of its NP-FW50 battery,
while the D4S can take 3020 images on a single charge of its EN-EL18a power pack. As can be seen in the images above, the D4S has a battery grip built in. This facilitates image-taking in portrait orientation
and gives it additional battery power. In order to provide similar functionality for the A7S II, Sony provides the VG-C2EM vertical grip as an optional accessory (see
here on eBay). The power pack in the A7S II can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger
along when travelling.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left
arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and
make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The A7S II was launched at a markedly lower price (by 54 percent) than the D4S, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison: Sony A7S II vs Nikon D4S

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor, but their sensors
differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the D4S is 2 percent bigger. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors.

With 16.2MP, the D4S offers a higher
resolution than the A7S II (12MP), but the D4S has smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of
7.29μm versus 8.40μm for the A7S II). It is noteworthy in this context that the A7S II is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 6 months) than the D4S, and its sensor
might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units.

The Sony Alpha 7S II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 102400, which can be extended to ISO 50-409600.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Nikon D4S are ISO 100 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-409600..

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). Of the two cameras under consideration, the D4S has a markedly higher DXO score than the A7S II (overall score 4 points higher), which will translate into better image quality. The advantage is based on 0.8 bits higher color depth, and -0 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Sony A7S II»

Full Frame

12.0

4240

2832

4K/30p

23.6

13.3

2993

85

Sony A7S II

Nikon D4S«

Full Frame

16.2

4928

3280

1080/60p

24.4

13.3

3074

89

Nikon D4S

Nikon D5«»

Full Frame

20.7

5588

3712

4K/30p

25.1

12.3

2343

88

Nikon D5

Nikon D750«»

Full Frame

24.2

6016

4016

1080/60p

24.8

14.5

2956

93

Nikon D750

Nikon Df«»

Full Frame

16.2

4928

3280

-

24.6

13.1

3279

89

Nikon Df

Nikon D610«»

Full Frame

24.2

6016

4016

1080/30p

25.1

14.4

2925

94

Nikon D610

Nikon D4«»

Full Frame

16.2

4928

3280

1080/30p

24.7

13.1

2965

89

Nikon D4

Olympus E-M1 II«»

Four Thirds

20.2

5184

3888

4K/30p

23.7

12.8

1312

80

Olympus E-M1 II

Sony A7 III«»

Full Frame

24.0

6000

4000

4K/30p

25.0

14.7

3730

96

Sony A7 III

Sony A7R III«»

Full Frame

42.2

7952

5304

4K/30p

26.0

14.7

3523

100

Sony A7R III

Sony A9«»

Full Frame

24.0

6000

4000

4K/30p

24.9

13.3

3517

92

Sony A9

Sony A99 II«»

Full Frame

42.2

7952

5304

4K/30p

25.4

13.4

2317

92

Sony A99 II

Sony A7R II«»

Full Frame

42.2

7952

5304

4K/30p

26.0

13.9

3434

98

Sony A7R II

Sony A7 II«»

Full Frame

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

24.9

13.6

2449

90

Sony A7 II

Sony A7S«»

Full Frame

12.0

4240

2832

1080/60p

23.9

13.2

3702

87

Sony A7S

Sony A99«»

Full Frame

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

25.0

14.0

1555

89

Sony A99

Sony A900«»

Full Frame

24.4

6048

4032

-

23.7

12.3

1431

79

Sony A900

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the A7S II provides a higher video resolution than the D4S. It can shoot video footage at 4K/30p, while the Nikon is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison: Sony A7S II vs Nikon D4S

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the A7S II has an electronic viewfinder (2400k dots), while the D4S has an optical one.
Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information
into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Sony A7S II and Nikon D4S along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Shutter speed (1/sec)

Shutter flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Sony A7S II»

2400

n

3.0

1229

tilting

n

8000

5.0

n

Y

Sony A7S II

Nikon D4S«

optical

Y

3.2

921

fixed

n

8000

11.0

n

n

Nikon D4S

Nikon D5«»

optical

Y

3.2

2359

fixed

Y

8000

14.0

n

n

Nikon D5

Nikon D750«»

optical

Y

3.2

1229

tilting

n

4000

6.0

Y

n

Nikon D750

Nikon Df«»

optical

Y

3.2

921

fixed

n

4000

5.5

n

n

Nikon Df

Nikon D610«»

optical

Y

3.2

921

fixed

n

4000

6.0

Y

n

Nikon D610

Nikon D4«»

optical

Y

3.2

921

fixed

n

8000

11.0

n

n

Nikon D4

Olympus E-M1 II«»

2360

n

3.0

1037

swivel

Y

8000

18.0

n

Y

Olympus E-M1 II

Sony A7 III«»

2359

n

3.0

922

tilting

Y

8000

10.0

n

Y

Sony A7 III

Sony A7R III«»

3686

n

3.0

1440

tilting

Y

8000

10.0

n

Y

Sony A7R III

Sony A9«»

3686

n

3.0

1440

tilting

Y

8000

20.0

n

Y

Sony A9

Sony A99 II«»

2400

Y

3.0

1229

full-flex

n

8000

12.0

n

Y

Sony A99 II

Sony A7R II«»

2400

n

3.0

1229

tilting

n

8000

5.0

n

Y

Sony A7R II

Sony A7 II«»

2400

n

3.0

1230

tilting

n

8000

5.0

n

Y

Sony A7 II

Sony A7S«»

2400

n

3.0

921

tilting

n

8000

5.0

n

n

Sony A7S

Sony A99«»

2359

Y

3.0

1229

full-flex

n

8000

6.0

n

Y

Sony A99

Sony A900«»

optical

Y

3.0

922

fixed

n

8000

5.0

n

Y

Sony A900

One feature that differentiates the A7S II and the D4S is in-body image stabilization (IBIS).
The A7S II reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while the D4S has to rely on optical image stabilization
in OIS-equipped lenses to achieve the same effect.

The reported shutter speed and shutter burst refer to the use of the mechanical shutter. In addition, the A7S II features
an electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or
shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The A7S II writes its imaging data to SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, while the D4S uses Compact Flash or XQD cards. The D4S features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the A7S II
only has one slot.

Connectivity comparison: Sony A7S II vs Nikon D4S

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Alpha 7S II and Nikon D4S and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Type

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Sony A7S II»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A7S II

Nikon D4S«

Y

mono

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D4S

Nikon D5«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

-

-

-

Nikon D5

Nikon D750«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Nikon D750

Nikon Df«»

Y

-

-

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon Df

Nikon D610«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D610

Nikon D4«»

Y

mono

mono

-

-

micro

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D4

Olympus E-M1 II«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

3.0

Y

-

-

Olympus E-M1 II

Sony A7 III«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

3.1

Y

Y

Y

Sony A7 III

Sony A7R III«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

3.1

Y

Y

Y

Sony A7R III

Sony A9«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

2.0

Y

Y

Y

Sony A9

Sony A99 II«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

2.0

Y

Y

Y

Sony A99 II

Sony A7R II«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A7R II

Sony A7 II«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A7 II

Sony A7S«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

micro

2.0

Y

Y

-

Sony A7S

Sony A99«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Sony A99

Sony A900«»

Y

-

-

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Sony A900

It is notable that the A7S II offers wifi support, while the D4S does not.
Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Nikon D4S (unlike the A7S II) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights
can be controlled by the camera.

The A7S II is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Sony.
In contrast, the D4S has been discontinued (but it can be found pre-owned on eBay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the D4S was succeeded by the Nikon D5.

Review summary: Sony A7S II vs Nikon D4S

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Sony A7S II and the Nikon D4S? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

More portrait friendly: Features an integrated vertical grip for easier portrait shooting.

Longer lasting: Gets more shots (3020 versus 370) out of a single battery charge.

Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.

Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.

More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in February 2014).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the A7S II emerges as the winner of the contest (13 : 11 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera.

A7S II 13:11 D4S

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the A7S II or the D4S. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews: Sony A7S II vs Nikon D4S

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). The full reviews are available by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Other camera comparisons

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